A Novel Idea of a Tufted Titmouse

A novel Idea of a Tufted Titmouse.-OnApril •o, •897, while wandering leisurely along the border of a wood outside of Beverly, N.J., my eye caught sight of the peculiar actions of a small bird ahead of me.XValking cautiously to within a reasonable distance and using mv field glasses, I observed a Tufted Titmouse (Parus bicolor), as I supposed trying to drive a red squirrel away.The squirrel xvas lying flat on the upper side of a large sloping limb, and the Titmouse would approach cautiously from behind and catch at its tail.It was not long before I noticed that the bird bad collected quite a mouthful of the hairs, with which it flew off tc• a hole near by where it .wasdeposited.This is certainly one of the most interesting novelties in relation to nest building that I ever met with.A friend who was with me also observed the occnrrence.--J.H^Rms R•D, 2•ez, erly, 2V.J. Absence of Turdus aonalaschk•e pallasii at Tadousac, q•uebec• in x896.--Thealmost complete absence of the Hermit Thrush from the vicinity, of Tadousac during the summer of •896 was very noticeable.During six weeks spent there in June and July, the only evidence I found of the presence of the birds was a single family seen one day late in July.In other years this species has been nearly as abundant as the Olivebacked Thrush (T.u. swaz'sonii), and many of each could be heard every day, but last summer the Olive-backs alone were heard, and I wondered where the Hermits had gone.The freeze of a couple of winters ago •vhich was so destructive to the Bluebirds in the Southern States, doubtless is responsible, in part at least, for the sudden diminution in the number of Hermits, and I have already seen some allusion made to this species as one of the sufferers.--JoXATHASDW•OUT, JR., M.D., •Vew York City.A Great Flight of Robins in Florida.--Mr.James K. Knowlton of Swampscott, Mass., informs me that he saw an enormous flight of Robins (3Ierula migratoria) on February •4, •5, •6, •897, at Hawks's Park, situated on a branch of Indian River, about one hundred miles south of St. Augustine, Florida.They came from a southerly direction, and were continually passing,'alighting and repassing, on the above dates, the general movement being in a northerly direction.The air was full of them, and their numbers beyond estimate, reminding him of bees.Mr.KnowIron heard that this movement of Robins had been noted for a distance of ten miles away, across the flight.Mr. K. shot about one hundred as they flew past the house where he was staying; he conld have killed a thousand, he says (so there is soreetching to be grateful for!) and reiterates that, "he saw more Robins than he had heretofore supposed existed in the world."Though a sportsman all his life, and frequenting localities where large numbers of birds congregate, like Curritnck Sound, he states, without hesitation, that this was the largest flight of birds he had ever seen in his life.--G•ORG• H. M,XCKAY, xVantucket, Mrass ' Vol.XlV'I General 2Voles.325 •S97 I

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